A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus for coating a plurality of optical substrates such as plastic spectacle lenses (e.g. for sunglasses) which are distributed on a support means which rotates in an evacuable container above at least one vapor source is known.
This vacuum vapor deposition apparatus is of great significance today because it can produce a reflection-reducing coating on a plastic spectacle glass, lens and/or the like. The problem with this method is that as many glasses or lenses as possible must be coated in the same vacuum cycle since the idle time between the individual cycles is comparatively high.
The so-called cups have proved suitable support means for the optical substrates. They extend dome-like and rotatably in the upper portion of the container and have a plurality of mounting openings (e.g. 36) for receipt of the optical substrates distributed over the cup-like surface. The empirically determined curvature of the cup-like surface guarantees that all substrate surfaces to be coated take an optimum angular position relative to the vacuum source so that a uniform coating or layering occurs on all substrates.
Holders mounted on the periphery of a rotating table have also been proposed as support means. These support means are pivotable by pivot means about 180.degree. so that twice the number of substrate surfaces as previously can be coated in a single cycle. However no greater output can be attained with the same peripheral space in the container since only a limited number of holders can be placed on the rotatable table peripherally. Also such an arrangement is very expensive and uneconomical.